Verbal Behavior

Hungarians are almost always less direct than North Americans, and depend on nuances of meaning in many cases. Humor, sometimes sarcastic, may be used to convey a message. The usual Hungarian tone of voice tends to be rather quiet and the language may sound monotonous, lacking dynamics to he foreign ear.

Whereas most Finns, Japanese and Thais for example tend to be more reserved than Hungarians. Italians, Greeks and Latin Americans are more outgoing and expressive.

Visitors will find Hungarians closer to the expressive end of the scale. Of course, at the first meeting you can expect a relatively reserved manner. But once the ice is broken, Hungarians become more demonstrative. The even more reserved Germans and Austrians for example used to describe Hungarians as fiery, explosive and often unpredictable.

language, communication, tone of voice, verbal behavior